


Sempre Libero

by orphan_account



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Being a coach, Character Study, Gen, Interview and opera inspired, No Plot, sort of i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:27:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25106959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Despite new (and quite enormous) responsibilities as a coach, he is still a free bird on the ice. Inspired by the cabaletta 'sempre libera' (Always Free) in Act 1 of La Traviata.
Relationships: Stéphane Lambiel & Christopher Trevisan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 5





	Sempre Libero

**Author's Note:**

> I went into the rabbit hole of translating interviews and articles from the Swiss media last Saturday, and saw a clip of him skating with the Swiss team on Sunday morning. The things he said as a coach and how happy he was on the ice just kind of struck me, and I wrote this. There's absolutely no plot and no grammar check. I'm not even sure if it can be called a fanfic (lol).

The national team training camp just ended. They've had pizza together, made an instagram live, posted photos, and finally, the team said goodbye to the rink. But they'll be popping back i the Palladium now and then, for short weekend-trainings and advices. 

Camps are never easy to organise. There's a group of people who they don't train on a daily basis. There needs to be a change to the timetable they're used to. And there's a whole lot of paperwork, accommodation and catering arrangements which need to be sorted out.

Plus, this is the weirdest off-season they've ever had. Not only during Stephane's coaching career, but probably his whole skating-related career. Cancellation of Worlds, a screeching stop of training for more than two months, then trying to get back to ice and picking up skills again. It's not to the point of 'learning to walk again', but almost. At least, the frustration can sometimes be similar.

And Stephane had to keep an eye on every single one of his skaters, guiding them with just the right pace. Not too fast to cause them to stress out for difficult elements, or even lead to unfortunate injuries; but not too slow either, because they still have to prepare for the season-no matter when it can actually start.

Techniques, choreography, planning as much as they can, talking to his students to encourage and reassure them.

Chris sometimes watched their training from upstairs. He was sure that the kids would have seen him, but it's okay. He was just watching there to make sure everything is going alright-well, he smiled while Stephane looked up. As if things would go wrong when Stephane is in the rink. He might have a thousand crazy ideas, but nothing had really gone wrong when there's students with him. Funny things might happen to himself, though.

When Chris finished the last admin work of the day and walked downstairs, Stephane was just leaving the rink. He still trains for sometime every day to keep himself in shape. Sometimes it's more technical, but he could also just play some music and dance to it impromptu, if he feels like so. 

"How's it?" Chris stood near the boards as Stephane put on his skate guards. It's the end of their day, and the Palladium is going to close. Stephane usually use either the first hour or the last hour to train, when there's no one else and he could have free reign on the ice.

"Not bad," Stephane took his water bottle and jacket and walked to the entrance with Chris tagging behind, "It's good to...just be with the ice."

"Sometimes I found it funny that you eventually become a coach." Chris said while Stephane came out from the shower. Now that he had cut his hair, there's no messy half-dry-after-shower hair anymore. "You know, like when you said a couple years ago during a summer camp, 'a coach's day never ends'."

"Many people have commented on it, thank you for reminding me," Stephane deadpanned, "I know I used not to think I'd become a coach. Growing up, watching Peter starting his day on the rink at seven in the morning and leaving the rink at, well, I don't know exactly, but definitely in the evening. Skaters come and go, and the coach just stays there as if being....being a tree in the rink?"

Chris chuckled at his metaphor. Stephane has all kind of wild and funny metaphors. "I used to comment on your impatience as well."

"I don't know," Stephane dropped his training clothes into the laundry basket, "People change, I guess?"

"I didn't imagine..." Chris sat down with him for dinner which he had quickly put together, "Or, I used to imagine, you're the kind of person who likes more adventure and...doesn't want to settle down on something? I guess?"

"I'm not setting down on something." Stephane got himself a serving of salad, "Maybe I'm not travelling as much, maybe I now have something on my shoulders that I cannot just...just take them off, like what I once did with competing when I was young. I can't just say 'okay I'm done with coaching' one day and walk away."

"And?" Chris prompted him. Stephane hadn't explained what he meant by 'not settling down'.

"I still do new things, I guess?" Stephane squeezed his eyes, "I mean... as per coaching, different methods, working with different people in different ways. Accepting a role of national coach is sort of adventurous, no? I said I like challenge."

"And as long as I still have ice-I mean, as long I still train on the ice, I'm not settling down." Stephane poked some leaves in the bowl with his fork, "I can be a tree staying there, giving the kids the stability and structure if they need. Bah, if they need?" He hesitated and corrected himself, "I mean, whenever they need. But when I have the ice for myself, I'm free."

"I'm free." Stephane repeated, "Don't worry about it. And don't worry about me."

**Author's Note:**

> Some notes:  
> Stephane skated to La Traviata as a farewell to his competitive career, and the whole story about this programme is very interesting. His coach then dreamt about this opera and suggested that they choreograph a new programme in the middle of Olympic season-and it remains as my absolute favouite programme up to today.
> 
> When Violetta sings this cabaletta, she's torn between 'being always free' in Paris as a courtesan and settle down with her lover Alfredo in the countryside. In the end she decided to leave Paris to settle down.  
> I found a bit of similarities between the opera plot and Stephane becoming a coach-he didn't think he'd be able to be a patient coach, but in the end, he relocated to Champery and started his own school.


End file.
